Walt Whitman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walt Whitman
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Whitman in 1887
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| Born | Walter Whitman Jr. May 31, 1819 Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1892 (aged 72) Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Resting place | Harleigh Cemetery Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Walter Whitman Jr. (born May 31, 1819 – died March 26, 1892) was a famous American poet, writer, and journalist. Many people think he is one of the most important poets in American history.
Whitman wrote in a new style called free verse. This means his poems did not always rhyme or follow a strict rhythm. His most famous book of poems is called Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855. His writing style was very new for his time.
His poems are still very important today. Art historian Mary Berenson once said that to truly understand America, you need to know Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass. Poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet."
Contents
Early life of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, New York. He was the second of nine children. His parents, Walter and Louisa Whitman, were Quakers. He was called "Walt" to tell him apart from his father, who had the same name.
When Walt was four, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. They moved many times because his father had trouble with money. Walt remembered his childhood as being a bit hard and not always happy because of his family's money problems.
When he was 11, Walt stopped going to school. He started working to help his family. He worked for two lawyers as an office boy. Later, he became an apprentice at a newspaper called the Patriot. There, he learned how to use a printing press and set type for printing. He might have written small stories or poems for the newspaper sometimes.
Walt Whitman's Career
Whitman worked as a journalist, a teacher, and even a government clerk. His most important book of poems, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855. He paid for the printing himself. He wanted his poems to connect with everyday Americans, like a big story about their country. Whitman kept adding to and changing Leaves of Grass until he died in 1892.
During the American Civil War, Whitman went to Washington, D.C.. He worked in hospitals, helping wounded soldiers. His poems often talked about sadness and healing. After Abraham Lincoln was killed, Whitman, who greatly admired Lincoln, wrote two famous poems: "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd". He also gave talks about Lincoln.
About Leaves of Grass
Whitman paid for the first edition of Leaves of Grass to be printed. It was printed at a local shop during their breaks from other jobs. About 795 copies were made. The book received great praise from writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson wrote a long, positive letter to Whitman and told his friends how much he liked the book.
Because of Emerson's praise, the first edition of Leaves of Grass became very popular. Many people were interested in it.
Leaves of Grass was updated and re-released many times. New editions came out in 1860, 1867, and several more times during Whitman's life. Other famous writers, like Henry David Thoreau, admired the book so much that they visited Whitman.
Later Life and Death
Towards the end of his life, Whitman had a stroke. He moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health got worse. He died at the age of 72. His funeral was a big public event.
Four days after he died, he was buried in his tomb at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden. Later, his parents and two of his brothers were also buried there.
Walt Whitman's Legacy and Influence
Walt Whitman is often called the first "poet of democracy" in the United States. This means his writing truly captured the spirit of America. Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman, called him "the greatest poet of America so far."
Whitman's poetry also influenced poets in Latin America and the Caribbean. This influence began with Cuban poet José Martí. Famous poets like Pablo Neruda from Chile and Jorge Luis Borges from Argentina also said that Walt Whitman inspired them.
Music and Audio Recordings
Many composers have used Whitman's poems in their music. More than 500 composers have set his words to music. Some of these include Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. An opera called Crossing, based on Whitman's Civil War writings, was performed in 2015.
Namesake Recognition
Walt Whitman is so important in American culture that many places are named after him. These include schools, roads, and bridges. For example, there are Walt Whitman High Schools in Maryland and New York. There is also a Walt Whitman Boulevard in New Jersey.
The Walt Whitman Bridge, which connects Philadelphia and South Jersey, is named in his honor. It is one of the longest bridges on the East Coast of the United States.
In 2009, Whitman was added to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was honored in the Legacy Walk, which celebrates important LGBT people and history.
A summer camp in New Hampshire, founded in 1948, is also named after him. Even a crater on the planet Mercury is named for Walt Whitman!
Works by Walt Whitman
- Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times (1842)
- The Half-Breed; A Tale of the Western Frontier (1846)
- Life and Adventures of Jack Engle (published in parts in 1852)
- Leaves of Grass (1855, the first of many editions)
- Manly Health and Training (1858)
- Drum-Taps (1865)
- Democratic Vistas (1871)
- Memoranda During the War (1876)
- Specimen Days (1882)
- The Wound Dresser: Letters written to his mother from the hospitals in Washington during the Civil War (1898)
- Walt Whitman Speaks: His Final Thoughts on Life, Writing, Spirituality, and the Promise of America (2019)
Images for kids
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Whitman at age 28
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Whitman as photographed by Mathew Brady
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Portrait of Whitman by Thomas Eakins, 1887–88
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Walt Whitman
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Whitman and Peter Doyle
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Walt Whitman and Bill Duckett
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See also
In Spanish: Walt Whitman para niños
